NFL notebook: Falcons lose S Neal for season

The Atlanta Falcons suffered a devastating blow in their season opener, losing starting strong safety Keanu Neal for the season, the team announced Friday. Neal sustained a torn left ACL that was revealed after an MRI, according to the NFL Network. Falcons coach Dan Quinn told reporters after Thursday's 18-12 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles that the injury to Neal did not appear serious. Neal went to the sideline because of a knee injury in the second quarter but returned shortly thereafter. He reinjured the knee in the third quarter and was done for the night, needing assistance from the team's medical staff to leave the field. A first-round draft pick (No. 17 overall) of Atlanta from Florida in 2016, Neal underwent arthroscopic knee surgery before his rookie season after he was hurt in a preseason game. He still played in 14 games that season and was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. Neal received Pro Bowl honors in 2017, starting all 16 games while registering 113 tackles and one interception. The 6-foot, 211-pound Neal played three seasons and had three interceptions in 2014 and ranked 10th in the SEC with 51 solo tackles in 2015. The Falcons avoided another serious knee injury when the NFL Network reported that running back Devonta Freeman is fine after exiting Thursday's game, favoring his right knee as he walked off the field. Freeman was limited to six carries for 36 yards but was on the sideline without a helmet in the fourth quarter. Freeman told the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo after the game that he was "OK." The fifth-year back was stopped twice at the 1-yard line on Atlanta's opening possession of Thursday's game, including a fourth-and-goal situation. Freeman also injured his right knee in the 2017 regular-season finale. He struggled mightily in Atlanta's postseason loss to Philadelphia, rushing for only seven yards on 10 carries. After the season, Freeman revealed he had played with sprained posterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee. He sought a second opinion and was told he did not require surgery. --Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson refused to confirm or deny a report that quarterback Carson Wentz could remain sidelined for a number of weeks. Wentz's status has been a hot-button issue for the Eagles as he continues to rehab from a knee injury that ended his season last December during Philadelphia's march to a Super Bowl title. "You know what, I've seen it, but I'm going to investigate that a little bit more and see where and why and when that came out," Pederson told reporters after Philadelphia squeaked out an 18-12 win over Atlanta on Thursday night. "But I'm not going to comment too much more on it." Backup Nick Foles stepped in when Wentz sustained a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee and played superbly in the team's championship run, winning MVP honors in the Super Bowl after leading the Eagles to a 41-33 win over the New England Patriots. Before Thursday's season-opening game, NFL Network reported that Wentz will be sidelined for "several more weeks." On Tuesday, Pederson suggested that Wentz is "close" to returning, but the quarterback still has not been cleared for contact by the team's medical staff. Because of concerns about Wentz's recovery, Philadelphia wisely restructured Foles' contract during the offseason to provide a reliable backup option. Foles struggled throughout the preseason and labored in Thursday's matchup against the Falcons, completing 19 of 34 passes for only 117 yards. He also had one pass intercepted, was sacked twice and fumbled, although the Eagles recovered. "It was one of those unique games where it's not really a rhythm thing," Foles said. "It's just that you're going to fight all game." Foles did lead the Eagles on an eight-play, 54-yard winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter that culminated with running back Jay Ajayi's second score of the game, an 11-yard run with 2:19 remaining. Philadelphia also did a reprisal of the famous "Philly Special" play from the Super Bowl, when Foles caught a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton. The results were not as dramatic this time, but Foles did pick up 15 yards and a first down on a short pass from wide receiver Nelson Agholor. It eventually led to Ajayi's first touchdown of the night. "We needed to do something," Foles said."I went to Doug (Pederson). He called it. Right time again. We needed a boost. It was the right time for it." The Eagles, who were without injured wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, will have 10 days off before their second game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. --Safety Eric Berry probably won't play in the Kansas City Chiefs' opener Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a heel injury, according to coach Andy Reid, per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Berry, who has not practiced with his teammates since training camp, officially is listed as doubtful because of heel soreness. Ron Parker, who was signed by the Chiefs last week after being cut by the Atlanta Falcons, is expected to start for Kansas City in Berry's spot against the Chargers. The Chargers also are without safety Daniel Sorensen, who is out indefinitely because of a leg injury. Berry, a three-time All-Pro selection, is attempting to return to the field after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon that ended his 2017 season in September. The 29-year-old Berry, who was the fifth overall selection of the 2010 draft by the Chiefs out of Tennessee, has been selected to play in the Pro Bowl five times. Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in December 2014 but was declared cancer-free at the start of the following season, when he was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. In his career, Berry has 427 total tackles and returned five of his 14 interceptions for touchdowns. --Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa seems unlikely to play in the season opener on Sunday against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs after he was spotted in a walking boot at Friday's practice. Bosa has been dealing with the injury to his left foot since he was hurt in practice on Aug. 7. At the time, the ailment was described as "nothing serious." Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters two weeks ago that Bosa "absolutely" would be ready for Week 1 but acknowledged Thursday that he might not be available to face the Chiefs. "It's a possibility that he might not be with us," said Lynn, per the Orange County Register. "You know, we're hopeful, but it's possible." Bosa has not practiced in full pads since he was injured and the sight of him in the walking boot Friday all but assured the Chargers will be without the Pro Bowl standout on Sunday. "Foot injuries, they take on all the body weight; that can be tricky," Lynn said. Bosa was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017 after racking up a team-leading 12.5 sacks while starting all 16 games. Bosa finished with 70 tackles and also had four forced fumbles last season. A first-round pick out of Ohio State (No. 3 overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Bosa enjoyed a stellar first season with 10.5 sacks in 12 games, receiving NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Los Angeles also will be without defensive tackle Corey Liuget, who will miss the opener while serving the first of a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. --New York Giants outside linebacker Olivier Vernon will not play in regular-season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Vernon missed a second straight practice on Friday because of an ankle injury and coach Pat Shurmur acknowledged that he will not be available against visiting Jacksonville. "It's safe to say that Olivier Vernon isn't going to make it this week," said Shurmur, via the team's official Twitter feed. "He's making progress and we'd love to have him on the field." Vernon sustained a high-ankle sprain on Aug. 26. He was carted off the field after his foot was tangled with an offensive lineman during a drill. Third-round draft pick Lorenzo Carter is the likely replacement for the 27-year-old Vernon, who had 6.5 sacks in an injury-filled season 2017 season for the Giants. Vernon has been shifted to outside linebacker in the team's 3-4 scheme to maximize his pass-rushing skills. Jason Pierre-Paul, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason, led New York with 8.5 sacks in 2017. The 6-foot-2, 270-pound Vernon started all 16 games and registered 8.5 sacks in 2016 after signing a five-year, $85 million contract that included $52.5 million in guaranteed money. A third-round pick of Miami in the 2012 draft, Vernon notched 29 sacks in four seasons with the Dolphins, including a career-high 11.5 in 2013. Carter had 14.0 sacks in four seasons at Georgia, including 4.5 in 2017 as the Bulldogs advanced to the national championship game. --Desmond Harrison, an undrafted rookie from West Georgia who failed a drug test at the scouting combine, has been named by the Cleveland Browns to start in the left tackle spot vacated by retired All-Pro Joe Thomas. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Harrison will be in the lineup for the Browns' opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday despite a checkered past. "When he came here, we were very excited about him," Browns coach Hue Jackson said. "There were some things he did in OTAs. You could see it. Then it got to be, how bad did he want to be the left tackle. And he just kept working. It's a heck of a story, but it doesn't matter until game day. He's got to go do it. "He's long, he's athletic. He can run. He's tough. He's all the things that you want. He just hasn't done it yet at this level." With Harrison at left tackle, Joel Bitonio moved back to left guard, where he will have primary responsibility for blocking Steelers standout defensive lineman Cam Heyward. Thomas retired after being selected to the Pro Bowl for 10 consecutive seasons through 2016 and being named first-team All-Pro seven times. He is considered a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Harrison, who always has had immense talent and potential, has not faced top-level competition since 2013, when he played parts of seven games for Texas. "He looks like a left tackle in this league," Bitonio said. "He plays the game the right way. He plays hard. If you watch any of his tape in the preseason or in college, he really finishes guys. He likes to play the right way. You know he's coachable; he's learning. "He hasn't played against some of this competition before, but he's out there, and he's fighting, and he's going against Myles (Garrett) in practice every day, and he's battling, and he's doing his best to be the best he can be for the Browns." Harrison enrolled at Auburn out of high school, but academic issues sent him to junior college. After two seasons, he enrolled at Texas in 2013, where he wowed coaches with his ability. "He was so good, we thought we'd only have him for one year and then he'd be drafted high," former Texas coach Mack Brown told Cleveland.com. However, Harrison missed the 2014 season at Texas after he was suspended three times. He left the Longhorns and spent two years away from football before playing last season at West Georgia, where he dominated against Division II competition to receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl, which he did not play because of a knee injury. During spring break in 2014, he was shot in the buttocks, which he admitted to teams at the combine. He was suspended by Texas for that incident, for marijuana use and for being in a car while friends robbed a convenience store, according to Cleveland.com. Harrison said he was "just being immature." --Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack practiced again on Friday, enhancing the chances that he may be available for Sunday's season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Mack practiced Thursday for the first time in nearly a month, albeit on a limited basis. He had been sidelined since injuring sustaining a hamstring injury in the Colts' preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 9. Even if Mack does play Sunday, he probably will be on a pitch count. The second-year running back had only four carries for nine yards in the preseason. The 6-foot, 210-pound Mack rushed for 358 yards and three touchdowns on 93 carries as a rookie. He also caught 21 passes for 225 yards and a score. With the departure of veteran running back Frank Gore to Miami, Mack was expected to take over as the starter this season. Indianapolis has rookies Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines behind Mack. Former Seattle second-round draft pick Christine Michael is the most experienced back on the active roster for Indianapolis. Running back Robert Turbin will miss the first four games of the regular season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. If Mack is not ready for the opener, Wilkins is expected to get the starting nod. A fifth-round draft pick out of Ole Miss, Wilkins rushed for 1,011 yards and nine touchdowns on 155 carries in 2017. He rushed for 75 yards in the preseason. --Former Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle's legal issues continued when he was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of rape. Randle was booked at 3:43 a.m. local time and charged with one count of rape, according to jail records in Sedgwick County, Kan. No details of the incident were made available and both the prosecutor's office and Randle's attorney did not respond to messages seeking more information, according to www.kake.com. The troubled Randle was arrested a half-dozen times in a 17-month span 2015 and 2016. He has been jailed for a variety of charges and had five criminal charges pending against him at one time. Randle, who also spent time in a state mental hospital, struck three people with a car as he left a party in Wichita, Kan., in February 2016. He was sentenced to probation in June on multiple charges related to that incident. In February 2017, Randle was charged with assaulting a fellow inmate in the Sedgwick County (Kan.) jail. The Cowboys released Randle in November 2015 reportedly due in part to his involvement in sports gambling. Randle denied that allegation. On Nov. 25, 2015, Randle was arrested after an altercation at a Kansas casino. He was booked on suspicion of criminal threat, assault of a law enforcement officer, battery, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and interference with a law enforcement officer. The NFL investigated Randle's arrest in February 2016. Police refused to pursue charges against him in a domestic disturbance complaint, but the NFL's investigators determined that Randle violated league policies. Randle, a 2013 fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma State, was suspended four games by the NFL in November 2015 under the league's personal conduct policy one week after he was released by the Cowboys. In October 2014, Randle was in legal trouble related to a shoplifting arrest for stealing underwear and cologne. In six games for the Cowboys in 2015, Randle rushed for 315 yards and four touchdowns on 76 carries. He added 10 receptions for 86 yards. After joining the Cowboys in 2013, Randle played in 35 games and rushed for 822 yards and nine touchdowns. --Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery may not be returning to the lineup any time soon. Jeffery sat out Philadelphia's season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night and is expected to miss the Week 2 matchup against Tampa Bay while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. However, Jeffery told Sports Illustrated on Thursday night that he could be sidelined for considerably longer, noting he still has "a couple more visits with the doctor" before he can be cleared to play. "Some days I feel great, and some days ... a shoulder injury is pretty tough," Jeffery told SI.com. Asked if he was still a few weeks from rejoining the lineup, Jeffery nodded. Jeffery was taken off the physically unable to perform list one day before Philadelphia trimmed its active roster to 53 players. He would have been required to sit out eight games if he was on the PUP list on cut-down day, leading to speculation that he was staring at a short-term absence. The Eagles struggled overall and in the passing game in Thursday's 18-12 win over Atlanta. Quarterback Nick Foles finished 19 of 34 for 117 yards and an interception. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor had a team-high eight catches, but they went for only 33 yards. Tight end Zach Ertz added five receptions for 48 yards. Jeffery was bothered by the shoulder injury last season but still had 57 catches for 789 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season. He added 12 receptions for 219 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' three postseason games en route to winning the Super Bowl. He had surgery to repair the shoulder problem after the season, which was his first with the Eagles. For his career, the 28-year-old Jeffery has 361 receptions for 5,338 yards and 35 touchdowns in seven seasons. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2013. --The Chicago Bears re-signed nose tackle Eddie Goldman to a four-year contract extension, the team announced. Although financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the club, NFL Network reported that Goldman's pact is worth more than $42 million, including $25 million guaranteed. The contract, which will make Goldman one of the highest-paid nose tackles in the NFL, runs through the 2022 season. "This is a key extension for the future of the Bears and an anchor for our defense," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said. "We are excited to be able to reward one of our own in Eddie. We put pride in drafting and developing players and Eddie has put the work in every day to earn this opportunity." A second-round draft pick of the Bears out of Florida State in the 2015 NFL Draft, Goldman started all 15 games in which he appeared in 2017, notching 1.5 sacks and a career-high 44 tackles. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Goldman, a first-team All-American at Florida State, had a career-best 4.5 sacks during his rookie season and was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team. For his three-year career, Goldman has posted 84 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, 10 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery. Last season, the Bears ranked 10th in the NFL in total defense and fewest first downs per game in 2017 and tied for third in the NFC with 42.0 sacks. Chicago bolstered its defense by acquiring 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack on Sept. 1 and also used its first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in this year's draft to select linebacker Roquan Smith of Georgia. --Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker practiced for the first time in nearly a month on Friday, but is not expected to play in the team's regular-season opener. Parker, who is dealing with a broken middle finger on his right hand, was listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the visiting Tennessee Titans. During the portion of Friday's practice open to the media, Parker worked out on the side with a bulky contraption under the glove on his right hand, according to the Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale. The newspaper reported he did not catch a pass during the open session. Parker was listed as "week to week" after he was hurt during practice on Aug. 12, an injury that occurred when his right hand caught in Xavien Howard's shoulder pads as the cornerback broke up a pass. The 14th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Parker has been looked upon to pick up the slack after the Dolphins traded three-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. Landry had a career-best 112 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. Parker did not make a catch in 10 snaps during Miami's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 25-year-old Parker had a career-best 57 receptions last season after hauling in 56 passes in 2016. Parker's yards per catch (11.8) slipped and he found the end zone only once after scoring four times in 2016. After posting two 100-yard receiving games in his sophomore season, Parker failed to reach 90 yards in a game in 2017 -- the crucial third year when receivers are expected to take a dramatic jump. Miami addressed its wide receiving corps by adding Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson this offseason to go along with Parker and Kenny Stills.